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“ It is a struggle to stay relevant in today ’ s fast-paced world ” he says . “ The scouts however will always be relevant , in the values and skills that it teaches you .”
After graduating from SJI , Bernard joined the Aladdin group for the next three decades , eventually becoming its Group Managing Director . It was a job that he happened to come across by chance , he explained . Throughout his thirty years with the company , the job turned out to be successful . However , to focus on his career then , “ something had to give ”, and so he left the scouts . Fortunately , as he is now semi-retired , he says that he can go back to help out in the scouts .
Bernard is also the Vice-president of the SJI Old Boys ’ Association ( SJIOBA ). “ The approach of the association is different from others ; instead of thinking about what it can do for the old boys , it is about what the old boys can do for the school ”, he shared . As a key member of the SJIOBA Executive Committee , Bernard has led several fundraising efforts such as charity golf events , to raise funds for the school and the SJIOBA .
After all these years , the Scout motto “ Be prepared ” is something he still holds onto strongly . In between sips of coffee , he gazes out towards a group of Scouts who were building a structure in the school , reminiscing his Scouting
and campfires days . His time in Scouts also taught him to embrace the community , which he continues to do so through his work with the Church .
Since his retirement , he has turned his attention towards giving back . He now spends his time building beautiful Christmas cribs for a few Catholic Churches in Singapore . Having had an artistic touch since he was a student , he first started constructing a crib for the Church of St Ignatius . Since then , he has expanded his project , constructing larger and more intricate cribs for the other Churches , including the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd , and the newest Catholic
The approach of the association ( SJIOBA ) is different from others ; instead of thinking about what it can do for the old boys , it is about what the old boys can do for the school ...
Church of The Transfiguration in Punggol , where he often spend months before each Christmas season perfecting the conception of the crib or crafting the figurines or structures by hand .
Despite the massive and grand scale of the scenes , the message remains simple . “ I want to put Christ back into Christmas ”, Bernard explained , “ Jesus came into the world in a simple , humble way ”. He felt that " Christmas has become a very secular , commercialised festive season when it should be focused on the life of Christ , which is the real meaning of Christmas . This way , the " Bible really comes alive ", especially for us Christians ,". He hopes to make use of this project to tell the story of Christ in an impactful way . For the past eight years , Bernard has been constantly working on it , always growing it , all of it focusing on the life of Christ . His dedication to this project has seen him stay up till first light while being engrossed in building the cribs and even led to him setting up a company to import goods for the Church .
“ When good things happen , I just say ‘ thank you ’.”
He asks for nothing in return - the act of serving the community gives him a peace of mind . Rather , the joy of seeing people enjoying the work he creates fuels his passion further , to share more with other people , about Jesus .
Facing page ( top ): Bernard and his wife Marie at the largest Nativity scene displayed at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in 2017
Facing page ( 2nd from bottom ): As a 2104 Pelandok Scout in 1979
Facing page ( extreme left ): Bernard was conferred the highest Scouting award - the President ' s Scout award in 1982
Facing page ( centre bottom ): Attending the Adult Training Camp in 1987 ( 2nd from right )
This page ( left ): The Nativity Scene at the Church of The Transfiguration in 2017
This page ( centre right ): The Nativity Scene at the Church of St Ignatius in 2014
This page ( bottom right ): The Nativity Scene at the Church of St Ignatius in 2018